22 June 2012

Manga & Romance Blog Hop: My Way to M/M Romance

I have written m/m romance exlusively for years. I don't remember quite how I got there, except that I had a gay character in an epic contemporary/paranormal series I once wrote, and I really enjoyed writing about him. 

I started on Fictionpress, where I read stories that I really enjoyed. For the first few years I went by the username kizuna as I posted my own stories. I also found my way to Aarinfantasy and their original forums. I do believe my username was kizuna there as well. 

I read so many good stories through the years. They helped me better my English, and gave me inspiration to write and finish my own stories. Most people that commented were always kind and had a good word or two about the story and they were always so invested in it and the characters.

I consider myself inspired mostly by these stories, which I consider to be western m/m romance. Though my stories have certain yaoi elements that western stories don't usually have; like, my character tends to fall into being either a top or a bottom. Very rarely are my characters versatile.

They weren't before, they aren't really now. I can't even think off a versatile couple at the top of my head. This is something I plan to change in the future; because realistically some couples are versatile. The guy who is a bottom also tends to me smaller and more feminine than the top. This is the only element of yaoi in my stories, I think, because while I enjoy reading yaoi I don't find it to be realistic. I strive to make my stories realistic, my contemporaries more so than the fantasy stories, but I want realism. And that's why I write and mostly read western m/m romance stories. 

I have always considered myself a writer of contemporary m/m romance, simply because of this realism I strive for. But, contrary to this, my first published story was actually a fantasy. So was the next one -- and the fourth one. Three and five are contemporaries. I always considered myself best at writing contemporary stories, but I'm really damn proud of the fantasy stories. And now I've also moved into paranormal, and it's turning out to be quite fun! It's actually my contemporary stories I have most doubts about.

I love being an author of romance. I love to set up my characters and have them fall in love. I love it when they take the story to places I'd never thought of before I started writing. I love watching the romance between two hot guys unfold on my screen and in my head. I have some bad days, but the good days outdo them to a thousand. I could never stop writing! I have written stories since I learned how to write, and I'm not going to stop now.

If you want to check out my books, look at the left side of my sidebar. The covers provide links to publisher's website where you can read the blurbs. Don't forget to comment here for a chance to win the grand prize! Remember, the more blogs in the hop you comment on, the better chance you have of winning.

I'm hosting a giveaway just for my blog as well. One lucky commenter will be randomly selected at the end of the blog hop, and can choose one of my published books. Remember to attach your e-mail on the comment so that I can contact you once the hop is over.

Have a nice weekend everyone, and enjoy the rest of the participants in the blog hop!

29 comments:

  1. Thank you for the chance to get to know Yaoi books. I am unfamiliar with them but enjoy M/M.
    Yvette
    yratpatrol@aol.com

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    1. Thank for for stopping by, Yvette. ^^ You really should try out some yaoi; there are a lot of great stories out there. ^^

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  2. It's interesting to see where m/m and yaoi overlap and diverge. I know yaoi got me into m/m in a lot of ways.

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Yeah, it's very interesting and the reason why I joined this hop. ^_^

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  3. Hi T.T.! Waving as I hop through! Love your blog.

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  4. Realism and Yaoi--not two things that always go together. That's one of my hang ups with yaoi. The guys don't always seem real and I like real.
    Realism and fantasy...well, those go together just fine. You have to have some realism in at least the characters in a fantasy setting.

    Thank you for joining in the hop. :)

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    1. Yep, that's my main hang-up with yaoi as well. I really like Miyamoto Kano's Rules series; it is the most realistic yaoi I have ever read. ^^

      Thank you for coming up with the hop, it's great :)

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    2. I will need to check that one out!

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  5. Hehe, I also tend to do the top-only/bottom-only thing in my drafts, but then change it in edits. Other than my tendency to write slim, pretty guys (which seems to bother some people), the humor I use in my stories are also yaoi-influenced.

    Erica
    eripike at gmail dot com

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    1. Good thing I'm not the only one doing it. :P Good idea to change it around in edits though. I might have to look into that. *__^

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  6. I agree realistic stories are better! Even if the story isn't, if it is paranormal or fantasy or whatever, I still want to believe it. And people and couples aren't perfect, and very few people are rigid in their personalities or interactions. I can't wait to check out some of your work :)

    Lillywriting@gmail.com

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    1. Very true, no one's perfect or rigid in personalities or interactions! ^^ If you do try out my work, I hope you'll like it. ^^

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  7. I have been secretly searching for more fantasy mxm stories! Hayley has one out, and it was her encouragement that has me blog hopping, and boy am I glad I did! I can't wait to check out your fantasy stories, as it is the genre that I enjoy the most, followed closely by yaoi. (I am really excited, bouncing on my chair while at work...where I totally shouldn't be blog hopping but am anyway. >_<)

    I still find myself becoming embarrassed on occasion, shy, etc, of reading mxm. I despise the culture that makes such things taboo. Cause really. This stuff is just awesome! Thank you so much for sharing, and hopefully I'll be seeing some of your stuff soon! :)

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    1. If you like fantasy m/m, you should totally check out my publisher's site. They have the most awesome fantasy stories I have ever read! ^__^

      Yes, I never really tell anyone what I write because they give me this look. Besides, I don't want people I know to read my stuff (wouldn't even if I wrote m/f), so I just say it's a secret. :P

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  8. I like a mix of realism and fantasy, one of my favorite non m/m writers has great stories set in our world, with fantasy or paranormal elements in them.


    lyra.lucky7ATgmailDOTcom

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  9. I like finding the overlap between yaoi and m/m. While some m/m may not have much, many do. It amazes me how many people only know of one and not the other considering how closely related they are. Anyways, thanks for sharing and participating!!

    tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Yeah, it is weird that many people don't know off one or the other. I have for a very long time. I was into manga in general before m/m romance, but I discovered m/m romance probably at the same time as yaoi. ^.^

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  10. While I like the ones that are versatile, I really enjoy the ones with the more delicate characters as the bottom. There's a sweetness there that I adore.

    lina7391(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  11. Hi, T.T.

    You're a new author for me but not for long. I look forward in reading your works.

    I enjoyed your post; it was a great read.

    I'm a big yaoi manga and anime fan. I also love m/m novels, romance, mystery, fantasty, etc.

    Two of my favorite yaoi manga are Junjo Romantica and The Finders series.

    Thanks,
    Tracey D
    booklover0226 at gmail dot com

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    1. Hi Tracey,

      I hope you will enjoy my stories if you try them out ^.^

      Ahh, I love those two yaoi series as well :3

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  12. I too have written stories since I first learned how-- even before that, when I'd recite them on tape for my parents to transcribe. Now writing is like breathing. Whether or not I can make a career out of it, I can't imagine stopping...

    I've been an anime and manga fan since I was 12, a yaoi/Bl fan since 15 or so, and it's taken me up to now to check out western M/M. WTF. :/

    Also I know it's not really yaoi but I have to proclaim my undying love for LOVELESS. as I have on several blogs. probably annoyed people XD

    So many new authors to check out! I have too many books I want to read anyway *sigh* If I could take a month and do nothing but read I would be in heaven.

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    1. I don't really understand people's obsession with Loveless, but most people was introduced to yaoi with exactly that series ^.^ I've never watched the show or read the manga, and I've never wanted too. :P

      Take a month and do nothing but read would really be heaven indeed! ^_^

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  13. It makes me smile to see so many author writers whose inspiration came from yaoi! I still can't get enough of it, although I spend more time reading MM romance than yaoi these days (or writing it).

    Thanks for the post! -Shira

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    1. I too spend more time on the m/m romance nowadays. I tired off yaoi eventually, every story seemed the same :P

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  14. I started with yaoi first since I loved manga as a kid. I stumbled on it innocently. Eventually I started reading romance novels and then I found out about m/m. I loved yaoi and I loved romance so why not bring them together for m/m romance? It seemed brilliant to me. Now I don't read as much yaoi (I think I have exhausted the genre over the years) and choose to explore what is new and fresh to me. Yaoi sometimes grows tedious from the feminine ukes. Thanks for the opportunity!

    M.lanz28(at)ymail(dot)com

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    1. Yes, indeed it can grow tedious with the overly feminine ukes sometimes. I guess that's why I stopped. I only read Miyamoto Kano's Rules series and Haru wo Daiteita now; I find those to be very realistic. ^.^

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